Prescribing of cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol in UK general practice: a retrospective descriptive study using The Health Improvement Network

The retrospective study analyzed the prescribing patterns of cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol (CPA/EE) in the UK, using data from The Health Improvement Network and focusing on women who started CPA/EE in 2011 (N=2760), 2012 (N=2923), and 2014 (N=2341). It found that a majority of these women had a diagnosis of a hyperandrogenic condition, such as acne, and had previously received acne treatment, which aligns with the medication's approved indications. Rarely did these women use CPA/EE concurrently with another hormonal contraceptive, with rates of less than 0.5% in 2012 and 2014, and only 1% in 2011. The study concluded that CPA/EE is typically prescribed in accordance with guidelines, after other acne treatments have failed, and emphasized the value of free-text comments in patient records for providing additional diagnostic information. Despite potential limitations like misclassification and underrecording, the study's large sample size and validated data source support its findings.